STANFORD: Johnny Dawkins finally broke through with the Cardinal, boosting the team's wins by 11 and winning the NIT. Five of Stanford's top six scorers are back from that team, with only Josh Owens, who was third on points and first in rebounds, now gone. But Chasson Randle (13.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.1 APG) is back in the fold as a nasty shooter from deep (2.3 threes per game, 44% 3-pt FG). The offense is facilitated by fellow sharp-shooter Aaron Bright (11.7 PPG, 1.9 threes per game, 44% 3-pt FG). With forward Josh Huestis (5.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG) prepared to take a step up in his senior season, this team could very well be making some noise in the NCAA Tournament, not the NIT, this year.

UCLA: The Bruins and the Wildcats will duke it out with teams of elite freshmen, with Ben Howland's squad prepared to start up to four first-year players, though it has been an arduous process to get there with a number of them fighting NCAA violations. The most heralded of those top recruits is SF Shabazz Muhammad, who is a threat to score from anywhere on the court at any given moment. He'll be joined on the wing by Kyle Anderson, who in tandem with Muhammad will be quite difficult to defend as they both stand 6-foot-6 with dynamic inside-outside games. Thick center Tony Parker will be able to clear space for them in the middle standing at 6-foot-9 and 270 lbs while small forward Jordan Adams rounds out the crew of freshmen. Throw in returning twin forwards Travis Wear (11.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG) and David Wear (10.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG) plus the mountainous 305-pound Joshua Smith (9.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG) and this team is big, deep, talented and dangerous.